In the petition filed Wednesday, Van Hollen's office asked the Supreme Court to review the case and "clarify whether abortion providers may assert the rights of their patients when challenging an abortion regulation designed to protect maternal health."

In addition, the petition argued that the federal appeals court's decision to uphold the injunction conflicts with rulings on similar issues in other courts. The high court should hear the case in order "to develop clear limitations on an abortion providers' right to represent the interests of their patients," according to the petition.

Likelihood of Consideration

According to the Journal-Sentinel, it is not known if the Supreme Court will decide whether to consider the case in time to postpone a trial scheduled for May (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 3/19).

Planned Parenthood attorney Lester Pines said the likelihood of the court taking up the case is "a long shot at best" (Richmond, AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune, 3/19).

Reaction

On Wednesday, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin President and CEO Teri Huyck said in a statement, "[I]t is deeply disappointing that politicians in Wisconsin continue to waste taxpayer dollars to litigate these dangerous and unconstitutional laws." She added that the law would not protect women's health, but instead would "force an abortion later in pregnancy or cut off access to safe and legal abortion."

Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Cecile Richards added that the group would "continue to fight these dangerous restrictions in state legislatures and courts across the country."

Video Round Up

An Interview with Justice Ginsburg on the State of Abortion Access

In a rare interview, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg tells MSNBC's Irin Carmon it is a "crying shame" that state abortion restrictions are making the procedure increasingly "[i]naccessible" to many low-income women. Watch the video

Datapoints

A Look at Abortion Coverage in the ACA's Marketplace Plans, Repro Health Report Card, More

This week's charts depict why abortion coverage is unavailable in many states' ACA marketplace plans for 2015. We also feature a national reproductive health report card and an interactive look at abortion restrictions in Missouri. Read more

At A Glance

"[Roe v. Wade] protects a woman's freedom to make her own choices about her body and her health, and reaffirms a fundamental American value: that government should not intrude in our most private and personal family matters."

— President Obama, commemorating the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Read more